Silversea celebrated the float out of Silver Ray at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Germany this week, marking a significant milestone for the luxury cruise line’s latest vessel.

This is the sixth addition to its fleet in just three years, with work starting on the Nova-class ship 15 months ago and now on schedule for a Mediterranean debut in June. 

After Meyer Werft’s craftspeople cleaned Silver Ray’s hull, approximately 100,000 cubic metres of water flooded the dock over four hours and two tugboats repositioned the 728-guest ship from the vast construction hall into the neighbouring harbour basin, where the docking out phase will continue. Her funnel and radar mast was then installed.

In keeping with tradition, captain Alessandro Zanello commemorated the special moment by welding a newly minted coin to a wall on the pool deck for good luck. 

“With the float out of Silver Ray, excitement is building for the launch of the second ship in our pioneering Nova-class,” said Barbara Muckermann, president of Silversea. 

She added there had been “incredibly strong feedback” to the launch of Silver Nova from guests, travel advisors, and members of the press following her launch in August 2023.

“Sustaining the wave of innovation that is driving our success, the launch of Silver Ray will strengthen Royal Caribbean Group’s unwavering commitment to delivering a lifetime of vacations for guests, with its industry-leading global brands,” Muckermann added.

Silver Ray will spend an inaugural cruise season in Europe following its launch this summer, with itineraries around Malaga, Majorca and Valencia, in Spain; as well as Monaco; Livorno (Florence/Pisa) in Italy; and St Tropez in France.

At a capacity of 728, the ship will offer the same eco-friendly design and amenities of its predecessor, Silver Nova, as well as all-balcony cabins with butler service, while passengers can expect high service levels with a 1:1.3 crew-to-guest ratio.